Tuesday, 14 October 2014

Language: Lingu Pinguin App

You see a lot of flak directed at screentime for kids, but there's one thing screens can do that I can't do: provide my children with language instruction in a native accent. Whether it's sign language or French (both of which I am teaching Scout Kid), my clumsy, slow translations can't measure up to the fluidity and accuracy of a recorded voice.

The Lingu Pinguin app is just an introduction, providing a gateway for us to talk about the different languages people use (we currently have a French intern student working on our farm and Scout Kid was asking me today, "Gus learning to speak French?", so we talked about how he lived in a country where everyone speaks French, and how his mummy and daddy talked French to him from the time he was a little baby, just like we speak English to Scout Kid.) The app is simple and attractive, and features several different screens with a theme (Animals, Toys, Nature, etc.) The different objects can be touched and respond with a narrator saying their name in French, and a little animation. The game also features a multiple choice quiz to practice. $1.99 for iPad and iPhone.